What are the benefits of Gantt charts?
The horizontal timeline of a Gantt chart lays out all project tasks in one simplified format. Gantt charts allow project managers to get quick visual overviews of project schedules and task status updates. Using a Gantt chart, you can effectively:
Manage your team members’ time and responsibilities
Assign team members with resources to complete their tasks
Maintain up-to-date budgets that help move the project along
Provide real-time updates on any delays or roadblocks in the project timeline
The simplicity of a Gantt chart makes it easy for your team members to view the full scope of the project requirements. As a result, they can then:
Prioritize their work schedules to complete the most important project tasks
Quickly check in with team members with larger task dependencies
Seek opportunities to make the project workflow more efficient
Gantt charts help you forecast how long a project should take. From your forecast, you can determine the resources you’ll need to complete the project and any dependencies that may hold up progress. Essentially, Gantt charts help you monitor your project progress with simple, visual status updates.
When to use the Gantt chart template?
The Gantt chart template provides a simplified overview of your project plan by:
Mapping out the full scope of the project requirements
Segmenting your project into organized milestones
Creating progress bars using drag-and-drop features to set task timelines
Visualize project and task dependencies to manage resources
Offering team members a straightforward overview of the project plan
The Gantt chart template can be used to manage projects in virtually any industry. You could be a construction crew building a new house, a software team developing new features, or a bank manager digitizing your administrative records.
In any of these scenarios, the Gantt chart template makes it easier to build a detailed project plan, set realistic timelines, and make efficient use of your working resources. By building out your Gantt chart template, you can monitor the status of the entire project and provide accurate updates to all stakeholders regarding timelines and deliverables.
How to use the Gantt chart template
The Gantt chart template is one of the best resources you can use for project management. By segmenting project milestones into organized sections, you can list out all the tasks that must be completed to achieve your project goal.
Once you’ve listed out your tasks, you can use the template’s built-in drag-and-drop features to assign tasks to your Gantt chart timeline and build out a full working schedule. The horizontal timeline tracker makes it easy to monitor status updates, address any roadblocks, reassign resources, and manage competing priorities.
Step 1: Organize your project into sectional milestones
Begin by creating vertical sections in your template to map out the milestones in your project. If you’re building a house, what are the stages of construction that must be completed before you can move onto the next phase of the project? Use the template’s sections to list out all phases of the project.
You can name each section using whatever label best suits your unique project needs. However, keep in mind that the purpose of the template is to build an effective Gantt chart. The timeline should be clear and specific to any stakeholder who views the project status updates.
Step 2: Break down the project into various tasks
Now you’re ready to break down the project into tasks. You can create a new task by clicking the + in any section of your project board. Be sure to add a detailed description of the expectations and assign a tag so that the assignee understands the task scope.
As you list out your tasks, keep in mind any tasks that will be dependent on other tasks being completed first. Your final Gantt chart template should provide a smooth, ordered project timeline that shows how each task will be completed, and when. If certain tasks have other dependencies, make a note of that on your project board.
Step 3: Assign the proper resources to complete the tasks
Once you’ve listed out your tasks and organized them based on project dependencies, you’re ready to assign specific tasks to your team members. The template supports relative work estimation techniques so that you can tag each task as a small, medium, or large deliverable. Use the relative work estimation to start visualizing how task dependencies will intersect with each other throughout the project.
Step 4: Create your Gantt chart timeline
Now, you’re ready to use one of the biggest features of the Gantt chart template: the Gantt chart project timeline. Click the “Show project timeline” option at the top of your project board to activate the Gantt chart feature.
You can drag each of your tasks from your project board onto the project timeline and build your horizontal Gantt chart. Once you drop a task onto the project timeline, click and drag the task horizontally to assign the appropriate start and end dates. This will create a visual overview of all tasks and project dependencies, creating a more complete picture of the project timeline.
Step 5: Monitor status updates and task dependencies
As tasks are completed and the project moves further along in the project timeline, you can monitor task completion milestones and team performance with your template. Use the Reports feature of your Gantt chart template to generate status and bandwidth updates. You’ll receive a brief summary on how team members are performing and the efficiency to which resources are being used. Make any changes to your project plan based on what the Reports feature generates.
